The Philadelphia 76ers didn’t have big plans for this year’s deadline, but their big move ended up going incomplete.
Jared McCain was traded to the Oklahoma City Thunder for a handful of picks. It was assumed that those assets could get flipped again before the deadline, turning into an instant impact player for a potential 2026 playoff run. Instead, the Sixers went through the deadline with two players traded and zero coming back.
76ers President of Basketball Operations Daryl Morey admitted that nothing materialized on that front as planned. Now, the Sixers are stuck with a low-impact deadline, which also sent emotions high for the week, since Jared McCain was beloved in the locker room.
Following the deal, McCain had a discussion with one of his veteran mentors, Kyle Lowry. The one-time NBA champion revealed his message for McCain on Friday night.
“It’s a tough situation, especially because Jared is like one of the most lovable guys out there,” said Lowry.
“The trade deadline sucks for individuals like him because he’s an asset. We got four [draft picks] for him, I just told him, ‘Listen, a team is willing to give up that much for you? That means you’re worth something.’ We talked about it yesterday on the plane, he’s just him. He is always laughing, he’s always joking, he does TikToks when we’re not looking. He’s just a great kid. Internally, we’re dealing with it, we understand the business of basketball. For me, personally, I told him that I’m big brother no matter what, no matter what team, no matter what uniform you have on, what city you’re in, give me a call. I think we had such a tight-knit crew that we’ll still be in touch with him. I know he’s looking forward to seeing us when they come into town.”
"It's a tough situation... Jared is like one of the most lovable guys out there... He's always laughing. He's always joking. He does TikToks when we're not looking... He's a great kid."
Kyle Lowry on Jared McCain getting traded 🗣️
(via @NBAonPrime)pic.twitter.com/Qm66SydhlL
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) February 7, 2026
McCain was in the midst of his second season with the Sixers. The 21-year-old appeared in 37 games, seeing the court for 16.8 minutes per game. He shot 37 percent from three and averaged 6.6 points per game.
Compared to his red-hot rookie year, McCain was having a down season. Recovering from two notable injuries, while having his playing time nearly cut in half, McCain couldn’t get settled in with the Sixers’ rotation in year two. Therefore, the Sixers moved McCain to the OKC Thunder, where he gets a chance to develop with one of the top teams in the league.
The situation might take a slight shot at McCain’s confidence, but Lowry’s message should be strong enough to keep the second-year guard in a solid headspace as he joins an ideal situation in OKC.
More 76ers News: